Let see if I can answer your question.

yes, hiring has slowed down. This is due to several factores. First of all holidays just passed and nobody was getting train in the same rate, second is the age 65 that came effect. In my current airline we had a class in november and nobody has been done yet, due to we are short on Training captains and the peak seasone. I have a friend that works for express jet and he said they are so short on Training captains and Type rating examiners that they cant hire many more now, but they will in the future (they also lost some routs as well). Several times I have jumpseated with major airlines and I had the chance to ask several captains if the majors are still hiring. the reply I got was "we use to hire before the age 65 came in effect, but major airlines has stopped because they want to know who will leave and who will stay, when this has been organised we will hire again". So, my two cents are that we will see hiring going on in 2008 and the minimums will stay the same. One more thing there are not many american student pilots at flight schools anymore( most of them are Indians and Chinese), so there are not many pilots out there for airlines in US.